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UNITED NATIONS NATIONS UNIES
United Nations Interim Mission d'Administration
Administration Mission Int�rimaire des Nations Unies
in Kosovo UNMIK au Kosovo
INVESTIGATION TASK FORCE
Allegation of fraud in handling and accounting of Cargo
at Pristina Airport (Case No. 0192/04)
I. Introduction
1. The Investigation Task Force (ITF) received a report that the Cargo Department at
Pristina Airport had improperly sought payment for importation and storage of goods
owned by the Company. It was further alleged that an amount of 8,000.00 was sought
and received by an official (Official 1) of the Pristina Airport, which was illegal and
therefore not recorded in the accounts of the Airport.
2. After the ITF conducted a preliminary investigation into this allegation, prima
facie evidence of a crime was identified and the case was referred to the Department of
Justice, Pillar I, UNMIK, on July 22nd, 2004 for further judicial action. This report is a
summary of the information adduced during the investigation.
II. Background
3. ITF Investigators met with the Company Representative, who explained that a
part of his business involves the importation and marketing of LED display equipment.
The Company consists of 4 partners:
� Partner 1
� Partner 2
� Partner 3
� Partner 4
4. The above company partners agreed to the following regarding the various
payments to be effected as follows:
� Partner 2 and Partner 3 were to pay the total price of all the goods;
� Partner 1 was to pay everything regarding VAT, Custom Duties, Local Taxes and
Storage.
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III. THE DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF
AIRPORT PRISTINA CARGO OFFICIALS
5. In general terms, airport officials are required to act in the best interests of Airport
Pristina, a Kosovo Publicly Owned Enterprise (POE), while performing their duties and
establishing and maintaining a responsible and transparent business framework in which
Airport Pristina can function. All Cargo Department officials are obliged to follow the
applicable law, and internal Rules, Regulations and Instructions, when dealing with
Airport Pristina assets, resources and facilities.
6. Official 2 was responsible for the daily control and management of the Cargo
section, including its assets and resources. He had the responsibility to ensure that all
contracts concluded on behalf of Airport Pristina regarding storage fees payable by
importers complied with the applicable law, regulations and instructions, and that they
were subject to full and fair competition, openness and transparency and free from
conflict of interest and corruption. His/her duty was to conduct the affairs of Airport
Pristina as a senior official with the utmost integrity and transparency and to be fully
accountable to the Board of Airport Pristina.
7. It was Official 2's responsibility to ensure that storage fees were paid and a record
of the payments be kept. The procedure for recording payments is that the airway bill
with a customs stamp should have been provided to the Finance Officer whereby he/she
then calculates the storage fees owed. Before individuals or companies were allowed to
retrieve their goods, this fee had to be paid pursuant to an official invoice. In this instant
case, there is no record of such an invoice or any such payment. The absence of such a
record is highly unusual and establishes that monies owed to the airport were not received
in this case.
8. Official 1 worked in the Cargo Handling Office at the Airport. As with Official 2,
it was Official 1's duty to ensure that all payments made by customers of the airport
complied with the applicable regulations and instructions.
III. INVESTIGATIVE DETAILS
9. A consignment of "LED Display equipment and accessories" for the Company
arrived at the airport via Airline 1 on 26 December 2003, and consisted of four pallets
containing 27 packages with a total weight of 976 kg. These goods were imported from
Beirut and were accompanied by an Air Waybill.
10. The Company Representative was advised by Partner 2 of the consignment's
arrival. Partner 2 was also the person that handed over the Air Waybill to the Company
Representative.
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11. At the time the consignment arrived in Kosovo, the Company did not have
permission to erect the LED screen on any city building for advertisement purposes as
they had intended. This authorization was granted sometime later, circa March/April
2004.
12. The merchandise in question was paid for and cleared on the 15th of March 2004,
by the nominated Shipping Agent. The same Agent, on behalf of the Company, paid a
total amount of 11,581.00, VAT and Customs Duties included.
13. Once all the payments had been effected, the Company Representative went to the
Cargo Building to pick up his goods, but according to his statements, he/she was
approached by Official 1, who advised the Company Representative that he/she was now
required to pay the amount of 32,800.00 that included a storage charge for the period 26
December 2003 to 15 March 2004.
14. Partner 2 was astonished at this excessive charge for storage. At this point, the
Company management agreed to leave the goods in storage and decide on what action to
take. They identified the possibility of returning the goods to their place of origin, due to
the fact that the storage would have cost them nearly as much as the price of the screen
(US$54,000.00).
15. Official 1 then advised the Company Representative that he would do everything
in his/her power to assist in settling this situation, including an offer to lower the storage
charge. Sometime thereafter, Official 1 advised the Company Representative that he/she
was able to decrease the storage charge to 8,000.00 based on his/her position and
connections at the Airport.
16. The Company management accepted the new offer and agreed to pay the lower
storage charge of 8.000.00. However, due to the fact that Partner 1 did not have
8,000.00 in cash, he/she commenced a search amongst his/her friends for the money.
Subsequently, Partner 1 was able to raise the money to pay both the Custom Excise and
Airport Storage fees.
17. On the 16th of March 2004, Partner 1 paid the 8,000.00 to the Company
Representative, who then went to Pristina Airport to hand it to Official 1. The Company
Representative stated that the hand-over of the cash to Official 1 took place outside the
airport terminal gate. The Airport X-Ray Operator, who observed the meeting between
the two men, corroborated the fact that the meeting took place as stated.
18. ITF Investigators visited the Cargo Department Finance Office to check official
documentation in relation to the Company merchandise. No trace of the payment of the
8,000 could be found in the Cargo Department account books for 2003 or 2004.
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19. According to the tariff list that the Finance Officer of the Cargo Section provided
to the ITF, the Company should have paid an amount of approximately 32,000.00 for
storage fees from the 23rd of December 2003 to 15th of March 2004.
20. In view of the above, ITF Investigators interviewed Official 2 who offered no
justifiable explanation as to why no payment had been effected with respect to the
Company goods. He/she simply repeated that the goods were confiscated from the
Customs Service and that just a minor payment of storage fees should have occurred.
Unfortunately, no trace of payment (current official storage price list payment or the
minor payment that Official 2 declared in his/her official interview) was detected by the
ITF nor provided by Official 2. Further inquiries carried out by the ITF on 6 July 2004 at
Pristina Airport Customs Offices and at Pristina Customs Services Headquarters,
disclosed that the merchandise did indeed enter the airport storage on 26 December 2003
and left on 15 March 2004. According to two staff members, the Company merchandise
was not confiscated based on a request from Customs. The ITF found that the Company
paid a total amount of 11,581.00 for VAT and Customs Duties.
21. On July 12th 2004, ITF Investigators interviewed Partner 4 confirmed that the first
requested amount was 32,000.00, which was later changed to the agreed sum of
8,000.00. He/she added that he/she received a strange phone call from a staff member of
Airline 2 Pristina Office on 9 July 2004, advising him/her to urgently make contact with
Official 2 on his/her mobile telephone, because Official 2 urgently needed to speak with
Partner 4. According to Partner 4's statement, he/she called Official 2, who asked for an
appointment in order to discuss "a certain issue". Partner 4 said he/she replied that there
was no need to continue this conversation, as he/she knew that Official 2 was trying to
influence any statements by Partner 4 that he/she may provide to any future inquiries
from an investigative body. Partner 4 stated to the ITF that he/she advised the staff
member of Airline 2 of his already scheduled appointment with ITF Investigators on the
following Monday and that he/she was prepared to tell all he knew on the matter. In view
of all the collected data and evidence, the ITF decided to refer the case to the Department
of Justice.
IV. CRIMINAL VIOLATIONS
22. Based on the referral from the ITF to the Department of Justice on 26 July 2004,
arrest warrants were issued against Official 1 and Official 2. Each charge is detailed
below:
Count 1
That between the dates 14th March 2004 and 16th March 2004 inclusive, Official 1 and
Official 2 acting in their capacity as officials of Airport Pristina, and acting in complicity
with the intention to obtain an unlawful material benefit, presented a representative of the
Company with a false statement of account claiming reduced storage fees, and in so
doing, misled an authorized person to carry out an unlawful payment, thereby committing
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the offence of Fraud in Service in violation of Article 215, (1) and (2) of the Kosovo
Criminal Code (KCC) punishable by imprisonment of one to ten years
{equivalent to Fraud in Office contrary to Article 341 (1) and (2) of Provisional Kosovo
Criminal Code (PCCK)};
and Complicity, in violation of Article 22 of Criminal Code of SFRY,( equivalent to Co-
Perpetration, in violation of PCCK Article 23)
Count 2
That between the dates 14th March 2004 and 16th March 2004 inclusive Official 1 and
Official 2 with the intent to obtain an unlawful material benefit for themselves
appropriated money (approx. 8,000.00 Euros) from the Company, amount which was
allegedly decreased from an initial sum of 32,800.00 Euros to be paid to the Airport for
storage fees for goods kept in the Cargo section of the Airport from 24.12.03 until
15.3.2004, thereby committing the offence of Embezzlement, in violation of Article 219
para. 1 and 3 of the KCC punishable by imprisonment of one to ten years
(equivalent to Misappropriation in Office, in violation of Article 340, (1) and (3) of the
PCCK)
and Complicity, in violation of Article 22 of Criminal Code of SFRY ( equivalent Co-
Perpetration, in violation of PCCK Article 23.)
Count 3
That between the dates 14th March 2004 and 16th March 2004 inclusive Official 1 and
Official 2 acting in complicity, with the intention to inflict damage to a business
organization, abused their official position and exceeded the limits of their authorization
and did not execute their official duties, by failing to collect, on behalf of their employer,
the appropriate storage fee from the Company , and depriving the airport of that amount ,
thereby committing the criminal offence of Abusing Official Position of Authority in
violation of Article 339 para. 1 and 3 of PCCK, punishable by imprisonment of one to
eight years
(equivalent to Abuse of Office in violation of Article 210 (1) and (3)
and Co-Perpetration, in violation of PCCK Article 23.
V. CONCLUSION
23. Given that the judicial process is ongoing and now rests with the Department of
Justice, it is highly recommended that the information contained in this report be
carefully protected from inappropriate disclosure. The two Pristina Airport staff members
are under suspension and awaiting trial. Therefore, this information is to be treated as
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highly confidential and should not be disseminated to any other party without the consent
of the competent Judicial Authorities.
VI. RECOMMENDATIONS
24. The ITF offers the following recommendations:
Recommendation 1: The ITF recommends that UNMIK Pillar IV take no administrative
action against Official 1 and Official 2 pending the resolution of their respective cases by
the Department of Justice (IV04/192/01).
Recommendation 2: The ITF recommends that UNMIK Pillar IV take appropriate
disciplinary action against Official 1 if he/she is not criminally charged or sentenced by
the competent authorities (IV04/192/02).
Recommendation 3: The ITF recommends that UNMIK Pillar IV take appropriate
disciplinary action against Official 2 if he/she is not criminally charged or sentenced by
the competent authorities (IV04/192/03).
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